Dragon Age: Inquisition Fanfiction Untitled
by 2xxAlleyoopxx2
Summary: Dragon Age inquisition Fanfiction/retelling. Little idea I had of a normal American high schooler getting dropped in the dragon age inquisition world as the herald of Andraste. Going to be quite a bit of language and violence by the way.
1. Ch 1: Preliminary, The Fool

Before I fuck this up too badly I'd like to point out that even I'm not entirely sure how any of this started. I mean I'd like to think I do, but really that's all from conjecture, and lucky educated guesses, I use the term "educated" loosely here. But really, how does one go from complaining about an AP high school class whilst shoveling textbooks in and out of a locker that doesn't even fit them lying on their sides and swearing profusely when subsequently trying to shut the locker door that the books are trying to bully their way out of, only thinking of the mountains of homework that needs to be done tomorrow and thinking of how exactly they can not only be done, but done well enough for at least B as well as have 8 of hours of sleep, to quite suddenly being pushed to floor by a friend as a hail of bullets rain into the lockers above and the loud chatter of the hall turns into louder screams. School shooter, that's how. Spoiler alert I suppose but then again I mentioned that was just the beginning right? Well, I mean not exactly the beginning more like prologue but- look I'm just trying to get this down so I understand it so bear with me. Besides, I suppose to some degree I saw this coming. I mean what American high schooler doesn't imagine how they would react if a school shooting happened. Granted that average high schooler doesn't usually actually have to find out.

Anyway, that's how it started. I was on the floor under my friend Marcella, who had been shot in the arm , the side, and the back when she covered me and was crying into my shoulder gripping my arm with the hand on her wounded arm so hard I'm sure she made me bleed too. I pushed her over and rolled over on top of her, she whimpered as I did so from the shots to her back but I was determined not to let her get more. Now one may be asking whether or not I was scared at this moment, which is an utterly stupid question because of course I was scared. But I also knew that if I wanted to get both myself and Marcella out alive I had to be coolheaded about this. I'm not saying that worked, considering I was the suicidal idiot that then rushed the shooter after making it to my feet ignoring Marcella who gave my name a strangled cry. I'm sure I must have taken some of her fingernails with me the way my arm hurt when I took off. But time seemed to slow only after I'd left her grasp, slinging my backpack down my arm leaning away from it to keep myself on balance as I sprinted towards him. Yes, him. The shooter was a student, junior I think, in a blue hoodie too bright for his actions, orange and black sneakers, and sweatpants, all of which looked ratty and secondhand. I stepped on more than a couple bodies, and more than couple still alive kids as I went. In fact, even the Sig Sauer MCX rifle (don't ask me how I know right now, all in good time) looked worn, though it was obviously shooting fine as he managed to take down at least ten more before I was close enough that he turned to me, short light hair and heavy dark circles under his eyes. He might even be one of the homeless kids. I brought my backpack up with all the force I could muster right into his face, he took it with a grunt and the rifle fell from his hands. I dove for it and he stumbled back from the force of two twenty pound textbooks, four notebooks, two highlighters, four pens of assorted colors, and nineteen mechanical pencils that weighted the backpack. I yanked the gun to me by the back end and shifted the front to point at him but before I could fully do so, he grabbed hold of my headscarf (I should mention this one was my favorite) and jerked me back to him. I yelped and grunted on impact with his legs but fortunately, or unfortunately (depends on how you look at it really) managed to keep the gun and meleed him in the face ramming the front end up, then again in the crotch ramming the back end this time. He grunted and let go stumbling back a little his face going red. I rolled up to my feet, my knuckles straining so much they were white on the gun, and I hadn't noticed until now, but I was shaking. He was staring at me from the floor having tripped over two of about forty corpses around us. It was eerily quiet, I assumed everyone had evacuated and hopefully the police would be here soon. We were standing amid the bodies, the tile floor couldn't be seen under all the blood, but the front doors to the school was to my right, we were right here in the middle of the commons. He'd shot into the crowd of students that had all been running to their next class. I left my headscarf where it was, half pulled back off my hair and swallowed, stretched my fingers on the gun and shifted my feet, next to which was my backpack where it fell, they squished and I didn't look down just held the shooter's eyes. He looked scared, of me. The air was heavy and thick with fear and anticipation, somewhat hard to breathe, but seemed electrified with intensity. The intensity with which I watched him, and he watched me. I didn't dare turn around to find Marcella, already fearing the worst though her wounds hadn't seemed bad now in hindsight. She had a cello concert tomorrow. He moved to get up and on impulse I let loose a spray of bullets on the bodies around him. Fucking idiot (clarification, not him, me). He froze looking at me.

"Don't fucking move." Not sure he heard. I was pretty quiet, almost a whisper, in fact I wasn't sure he'd heard me at all. I was deafening myself with the thunder of my own thoughts going over what I'd do if he tried something, I didn't catch what he said, but it sounded something like "terrorist bitch" which shocked me and I went cold.

"The fuck did you just say?" Sounded a lot less in control than I wanted it to. The front doors were three sets of double doors and they all burst open to a flood of cops that streamed in under the banner the student government had put together that advertised spirit week next week, Monday was superhero day. All the guns snapped to me as I went to put the gun down, arms tired, they opened fire. I think I screamed as the bullets tore through the air towards me, vaguely aware of the shooter that had started towards me with a knife, don't know why, seems like a stupid move to me, just going to get us both killed. I think I screamed. But I also thought the sudden sucking feeling in the pit of my stomach and the green haze at the edges of my vision was me dying. So frankly I'm not entirely sure about anything within that 5 second span.

All I know was that when I crumpled to the floor wounded across the chest and in the side, I assumed that was the stab wound, the floor wasn't tiled, and wasn't covered in bodies. It was stone and craggy, like I was on a relatively flat part of a mountain or stony hill. I looked around confused, what the hell was this? The stone in front of me implied a path in front of me, less because I thought I could walk it, but more because the stone rose in steep walls around it, I mean, the stone path kind of looked stair-ish maybe if I squinted, looked at it sideways, and had been a good foot taller but it's not like I had anywhere else to go. Behind me the stone dropped suddenly into a sheer cliff with nothing but darkness beyond. I swallowed looking back at the path, it snaked up at a sort of steep slope, probably wouldn't be a problem but I was kind of in pain in multiple places, at the top of the slope the stone walls turned into spires around the small flat space there, on which there was a bright light. At this point I figured I should go towards the light. I mean I was probably, by all accounts dead right? Then why did I hurt so damn much? I then registered I was still holding the rifle and I could clearly feel the weight in my hands, at the dirt under my shoes. So, not dead?

Just then I noticed the light at the top form into a person, looked like a woman maybe, with a really funny tall hat, kinda like the pope's hat but taller. She reached out to me when I was trying not to giggle and I felt a sharp pain in my left hand. I yelped dropping the gun as the pain grew and burned. I hissed gripping the wrist of it with the other hand. The gun clattered on the stone and started to slide but my backpack caught it from going off the edge. How that got there I have no clue. The palm of my hand was glowing green throwing off small green sparks too, like a mini fireworks display. The pain gradually started to subside and I snuck a look at my palm thinking it'd be torn up and burned but instead lines where burned into my skin in the image of an eye, with rays coming off it from all around. Still hurt like a bitch though, I mean I thought my hand got flayed not just a glowing green burned hippie tattoo. Kinda like a papercut I guess. I took that minute to inspect my other wounds as I got to my feet and retrieved the gun stuffing it into the farthest back zippered section of my backpack and swung it over my shoulder. Bad idea, I swore at my own idiocy and took the time here also to right my headscarf, which in hindsight would have been a good bandage but I wasn't in the clearest of mindsets no matter how hard I had tried, as I started my trek up the stone semi stairs. I had three bullet wounds across my left shoulder all to my front and under my collar bone, two in my right arm, one in my right thigh and three peppered down my left leg, they must really liked my left side or something jeez. Oh and a knife wound to my side, don't think it hit anything major surprisingly. Still breathing fine, so not the lungs, pain didn't feel like it was particularly contaminated so not the stomach or liver, at least I didn't think so. I wasn't expert or anything, but thinking about it kept my mind off the pain from climbing the stairs though I did keep a string of cusses going the entire time. The light-pope-hat-lady was still at the top and was reaching for me the whole way. I wanted to tell her she didn't have to, I mean I was coming as fast as I could and no amount of her stretching was going to help, being that she was good forty feet up ahead of me.

That was when I heard the scuffling. I looked back, just a little done with everything, and saw spiders the size of warthogs scuttling up the stair after me. Leave it to a strange abyss to have fucking spiders. On second thought maybe this was hell? I didn't really stick around to find out. I didn't try to anyway. But running in that much pain was kind of a no go, basically I was just furiously hobbling and swearing kicking away the few that got too close. I debated getting the rifle out again but I was at the point where I could just reach the pope lady's hand at this point. I also seemed to be hallucinating just a little as the stone around her seemed to burn and curl in her light and soon it looked less like a craggy rock outcrop and more like a black garden that drank up her light greedily. Blood rushed to my ears and I strained and they burned and pulsed with my heartbeat. So I did what I figured was best and threw myself up the last couple steps and brushed her light fingers with my bloody ones. As soon as they touched, her light exploded and the stone under me fell away. I think I screamed here too. Would've made sense, I mean who doesn't scream when suddenly dropped right? Anyway last thing I remembered was charred rocky ground coming out of nowhere and me slamming into it face first. Very graceful I know. Obviously everything went black after that.


	2. Ch 2: The Breach, Ace of Cups

So I don't know what I was expecting, but I don't think it was to wake up in a meager, sad, damp haystack in a medieval prison cell. And I mean like hardcore medieval, the walls were made of stone bricks that bore chisel marks like they were quarried by hand and the cell was maybe four by six, real tiny. Not that it really mattered to me, I was a pretty small person, but anyway when I came to, my hands were shackled and chained to a wall and I was facing the wall of my cell that was not stone, instead iron bars with the door on the far left. I was just kinda laid somewhere in the middle, and it stands to mention I woke up to a rat nibbling my nose, naturally scared the shit out of me. I hope I didn't catch anything from that. After I shooed away my furry cellmate I pulled myself up in a somewhat comfortable sitting position groaning all the way. The cell opened to a hallway, across from me was an empty cell and another empty cell to the left of that, so presumably there was one to the left of mine as well. The right ended in a wall with a wooden door flanked by torches, with additional torches between the cells. Which I assumed were not only for light but also for meager warmth, not that it was helping, still damn cold, though not cold enough to see my breath. I checked on myself, I still hurt but it looked like I had been treated, and changed apparently as I was now in a gray linen dress, long sleeved, ankle length and plain, as well as a pair of leather slippers. Not that I was complaining, I was still alive after all, actually I may retract that statement but for now keep it there. I felt bandages wherever there had been wounds and even felt a couple stitches here and there, I say felt them because they hurt. No anesthesia then. The green eye mark thing sputtered a few green sparks accompanied by stabbing pain again, definitely no anesthesia. I looked around and perked up, my backpack had been tossed in with me apparently, and my clothes in a pile next to it. I shuffled over on my knees, thankfully the chain had enough length for me to get to it and stuffed my clothes into my backpack, except my headscarf (a hijab by the way) which I guess I'll briefly describe it here, it was mostly black with white, red, and gold paisley-ish swirls, I retied that onto my head just as it was before, tied snugly around my head with the tie underneath and two long tails hanging down to my hips, which was about how long my actual hair was too. Now why they bothered to toss in my backpack (whoever "they" were) was beyond me. You'd think that'd be pretty stupid seeing as I was apparently a prisoner, again not complaining, at least I know I have a weapon. So about where I am, alternate dimension maybe? The multiple worlds theory could account for this right? I'm going to say it does, but that still doesn't answer why the fuck I am here and not dead like a normal person.

The wooden door suddenly slammed open and, I won't lie, I jumped a little. I crawled back over the hay area as two men who I assumed were guards as they both had armor, mostly leather, but some cloth pieces as well, less like a formal military and more like a moderately well supplied militia, came straight for my cell. One pulled out a ring of keys and neither looked at me. He pulled open the door and his buddy came in and unlocked the chain from the wall and tugged a little for me to follow. I pointed at my backpack and he blinked.

"Leave it," he shook his head and pulled more insistently. Ah, english. Good good, they'll understand me, optimal position for a prisoner really. I stumbled to my feet unsteady with a little dizziness kicking in and still in pain, though considerably less than when the wounds were open. I really hope I don't fuck this up, I mean with my luck I'll get killed for sarcasm in the next hour. The guards led me out the door, up a flight of stone steps and into a new room, which was a square, two sides had a cell the one directly across from the door I came in and to my left, each with its own sad little pile of hay, and I assume it's own little furry cellmates too. The wall to my right was actually a double door with tiny barred windows on each through which I could see it was snowing outside, no wonder it was colder up here. Two guards were evidently waiting for us at the two ends of the room opposite the door I came in. The guards I came with, pushed me to the center of the room, and retreated to the other two unoccupied corners. One of them still kept the end of my chain. I eyed them warily before inspecting the floor I debated on sitting on. It was grimy, I could push around wet, dark dirt with the toe of my leather slipper, but underneath all that grime was a mandala-ish design of a circle with triangles coming off of it, it was worn so the color was gone but it might have been pretty once upon a time (no pun intended). All things considered, as I plopped down heavily with a muffled swear of pain, it was probably not the best time to mention I had to pee.

The double doors to the outside slammed open with an angry crack and my hand seemed to respond in kind, green sparks jumping like crazy. I muttered a couple fucks and held it away from me, not only because the light hurt to look at, but because I didn't want my dress to catch fire. Two women came in through said door followed closely by a gust of icy wind and a baby snowdrift. The first woman, the one obviously in charge was in purple cloth armor, a couple strategic patches of leather for added protection, nothing decorative save for the linen sleeveless over-tunic over a metal chest plate with that pattern of an eye with rays dyed in black on it. She had short dark hair braided along the crown, don't know how she managed that, her hair was really short, a scar along her left cheekbone, as well as a long sword, and walked like she knew how to use it. The second woman was also in purple in a chainmail covered purple long tunic, the eye with rays on a large clasp at the base of her throat, she had light hair, reddish blondish something like that with a purple cowl over her head, and looked considerably less combative than the other. I wonder how much this alternate dimension has in common with the one I come from? The sword lady walked around me to my right, it felt like she was a cat stalking me for the kill, brows low and eyes narrowed in suspicion and barely controlled anger.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." She'd reached my left and the mark had calmed down enough for me to drop my hands back to my lap. She had bent to my ear to make sure I'd heard her clearly, slight accent, german-ish, with a little bit of french maybe? Mostly british I think. I've never really been very good at placing accents, not that it matters now, a whole 'nother world over here. "The conclave is destroyed." She continued her casual pacing around me. "Everyone who attended is dead." She turned to me, "except for you." Conclave, sounds important, everyone dead, also pretty important, and rather depressing. Too bad I have no idea what she's on about. So I just watched her, with what must have seemed like mild interest. She seized my left arm by the wrist, or the closest she could get to the shackle anyway, "Explain this." The mark sputtered in response, traitor. She shoved my arm away like it was filth and walked to the front to face me. I pursed my lips and ran through something, anything to say, but I had nothing. I wasn't even completely sure I wasn't actually dead or maybe just in a coma or something, god that'd be depressing.

"I can't, mostly because I don't know anything," I shrugged honestly. "Though from here kinda looks like I'm malfunctioning."

"What do you mean you can't!" Sword lady was getting angrier.

"I just don't know plain and simple, I don't even know how I got here, where I am, what year it is, who you people are, or what that conclave thing is for that matter, but if I did, trust me I'd be more than happy to tell you."

"You're lying!" She grabbed my shoulders, gripping me as if I were a slimy eel trying to get free. I wonder how long it's been since I woke up, did I make it past an hour?

The lady in the cowl in turn took sword lady's arm and pulled her back a few steps. "We need her Cassandra." She then turned to look at me. Not going to kill me I see. I gave them a terse grin, as much as I could manage under the conditions. "Do you remember what happened?" Cowl lady stepped forward, in the role of good cop I'd say. "How this began?"

I shrugged, "you're guess is as good as mine. I don't know what that conclave thing is so I can't comment on that, I mean I think I fell here, well not here here, but somewhere rocky, but that happened after this weird dream thing. I was going up these stairs chased by these spiders the size pigs and there was this light lady up top-"

"A lady?"

"Yeah, she was reaching for me the entire time, made me feel bad I took a while getting started but nothing happened when I got to her, I mean there was a bright light and I fell here but that's it." God, it sounded crazy when I put it like that.

Sword lady, I assume she was Cassandra, sighed and steered cowl lady to the door. "Go to the forward camp Leliana." She glanced back at me, she wasn't quite so angry anymore, in fact she looked a little depressed, as if there was a weight on her shoulders. " I will take her to the Rift." Leliana nodded and left, Cassandra went to the guard that had my chain and the key, she took the key and proceeded to unshackle me.

"So, explanations?" I wiggled my fingers at her. She glanced at me and rolled her eyes, after getting the shackles off, she pulled me by my arm up. I gave grunt, she was a hell of a lot stronger than me and almost yanked me off my feet.

She seemed not to notice and tied my wrists again with a length of rope before leading me towards the door, "It will be easier to show you," an iron grip still on my arm.

"Could I at least have some pants before we go?"

"Ugh."


	3. Ch 3: The Wrath of Heaven, Two of Cups

Now I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to see outside the doors, I mean frankly I was still pretty confused about this whole dying thing but really unsure what to do about it or why I was so oddly calm, but years and years of fantasy movies and video games seemed to totally fail me, or maybe they did their job too well? I'm not entirely sure, all I know is that I was somewhat disappointed with the view. Actually correction, not the view as in the geographical vista, that was gorgeous actually, snow frosted regal mountains in the not so far off distance that seemed to create a sort of cradle in which the real disappointment sat. There were small stone walls only about knee high that only kind of sort of lined the paths that were wet dirt the color of chocolate where the snow had been pushed out of existence by lots of foot traffic. The buildings were clustered like penguins huddling together in small clusters, squat like rolls of cheese on their side and purely functional by the looks of them being almost all wood based, thickly cut more for warmth than anything, with only small adornments like the odd carved support beams coming off the roofs and the number of banners on the doors or walls, the chimneys were short and small for the amount of smoke they spewed forth into the wintery air. Kind of reminded me of gingerbread houses before they'd been properly decorated. Even the snow fell halfheartedly in a bipolar wind that only sometimes wanted to rip the faces off of people. In fact, the only thing that seemed to have any urgency, besides some of the people with pinched faces like they'd tried a peppermint for the first time who honestly, mostly looked constipated with worry, was the giant green lightning bolt in the sky that looked like it was just eternally striking the ground somewhere off in the mountains, a pool of sickly green clouds whirling around its top and shards of some emerald stone circling it, slowly and surely as if it was so sure of its own ability in utter destruction that it had time to spare. Kind of like marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate. Sorry, I was quite hungry though not nearly as cold as I thought I'd be.

"We call it the breach." Cassandra stood a little in front of me her hands on her hips, obviously referring to the green lightning thing. I just grunted in response. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour." I wondered if the monsters all looked that sickly green, like they were perpetually about to vomit like a college frat boy after his first party a long way from home. Also had just noticed she had a shield strapped to her back, on which was imprinted that eyes with the rays. "It's not the only such rift, just the largest."

I grunted again, "wow aren't we special."

She smartly ignored me and continued, "all were caused by the explosion at the conclave."

There's that word again, I whistled in appreciation which finally got me a mildly glowering look. "Impressive, an explosion can do that?"

"This one did." She turned and started towards me, her slow pace reminded me a bit too much of those green shard things. Her expression was intense, telepathically daring me to try something. "Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world" She turned her face upward again, towards the breach.

I followed her gaze instinctively, apparently a bad decision on my part as the Breach, as soon as I made eye contact, if one could do that with a static lightning bolt, gave a thunderous cry, cue marky mark which hissed and spit, also swung straight up palm towards the Breach as if they were some long lost lovers and I was a traditionalist parent keeping them apart. "Jesus, fuck!" It brought me to my knees in the dirty snow which wet my dress, Cassandra whipped around to me as I clutched my wrist with the hand that wasn't spazzing, trying to cut off the circulation so the hand would go numb and the pain would stop, which it did after a few seconds of pining.

"Each time the breach expands, your mark spreads." She crouched in front of me, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself at this point. I thrust my palm in the snow to cool it off, probably not the best idea since there was dirt and probably all sorts of germs. "And it is killing you."

I looked up and cocked my head "Oh really? You got proof of that?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just because it feels like my hand is being torn off and cauterized every once in a while doesn't mean I'm dying."

She grabbed my hand, which was steaming and held it to my face pulling down the sleeve of the dress, which to my surprise was smoking a bit. The mark was indeed spreading. The rays from the eye had started to wind over my fingers, twisting and spiraling over the top of my hand and starting down my wrist. The burns were still fresh, blackened skin at the edge of the pink raw and bleeding lines. "If this gets to your chest, your heart, up to your face, you think it won't burn deep? Are you willing to bet it won't kill you?"

I pulled my hand away and flexed my fingers, the joints ached with the stress, and the skin protested being stretched, sore nerves still felt mostly fine, so overall yeah I was willing to bet it wouldn't burn deep, but the pain was a whole other thing, even if it didn't kill me I might just want to kill myself at that point. "What exactly does this thing, have to do with anything?" I could pretty much gather what her hypothesis was but I wanted to hear it for myself still.

"It may be the key to stopping this," Predictable. "But there isn't much time."

My turn to raise a skeptic eyebrow.

She pressed, "it could close the breach. Though still, whether that's even possible is something we'll discover shortly." She sat back on one heel and one knee watching me studiously. "It is our only chance however, and yours."

"You still think I caused this?" I sat back on my heels. "Seriously, to myself?" I waved the burn in her face for greater emphasis.

"Not intentionally," she sniffed, still somewhat accusing. "Something clearly went wrong. And even if you're not responsible, someone is, and you are our only suspect." Figures, now I sorely miss the tech they would've had back in my time. " You wish to prove your innocence, this is the only way." Might also be the only way to get back. If I even can get back, I mean I went in through some green thing if I go back the same way maybe I'll pop out where I was. I'm not even sure if I really want to actually, now that I'm thinking about it. The police thought I was the shooter, but the security cameras would have caught what happened, probably anyway. I suppose I should try in any case.

I sighed and stumbled to my feet. "Alrighty then, lead the way."

She blinked at me, "then. . ."

"I'll do what I can," I shrugged and looked back at the breach which didn't bother me this time. I want to go home. I want to see my parents again, to make sure that the shooter understands the consequences of his actions. "Whatever it takes."

"They have decided your guilt." Cassandra gripped my arm tightly, practically hauling me through the meager dirt paths snaking between thin cloth tents and people, men and women, young and old in various stages of plain leather armor and semi winter clothing all in drab browns, grays, greens and blues. "They need it." Sure they did, if looks could kill I'd be skewered more times than I could count just walking by the pinched faced people. "The people of Haven mourn our most holy, Divine Justinia head of the chantry." Okay, Haven is here, chantry sounds like church so that might be what it is, Divine is kind of like a pope then. "The Conclave was hers." We continued on past the confines of Haven which I saw was surround by a high wall of logs stuck vertically into the ground with sharpened tops. I think I'm starting to understand the gist of this world. "It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars." Okay new development, mages obviously magic users, good god there's magic here, don't freak out, just think, and don't forget to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The path we went down took us into the mountains. Templars not sure about, I only know the conspiracy stuff of my time, going to have to ask about them. "She brought their leaders together, now they are dead." Oh shit. "We lash out like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves, as she did." We approached a bridge, she nodded up at the gate keepers who opened the giant wood doors to let us through. How did they manage to build something like this in such a primitive world? Must've taken more than a few years. "Until the breach is sealed." Oop better pay attention. She paused. "There will be a trial, I can promise no more." She let go of my arm as we were on the bridge, with a pretty clear view of the breach. She pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes off. "Come, it is not far."

I rubbed my wrists to encourage circulation. "What's not the far? The breach?"

She shook her head an led on, "your mark must be tested on something smaller that the breach." She was definitely right about that, happy she could see that logically.

As we continued down the bridge we passed a group of almost a dozen soldiers, or who I assumed were soldiers with their layered leather armor though they weren't carrying their weapons, those were propped on the side of the bridge and they were gathered around a man in a long white frock with a red one over that, a white cowl over his head, a red cap on top of that.

He seemed to be a preacher of sorts conducting a sermon. "Oh maker, hear my cry." We paid no mind to the men with their bowed heads in grim silence, some of their boots were bloody. Bodies were lined against the bridge's waist high walls covered in tarps some of which were dusted with snow which glimmered with whatever sunlight reached them. "Seat me by your side in death." As we neared the other end of the bridge Cassandra called to the keepers to let us into the valley, leaving behind the gentle puffs of breath they pooled together that disappeared only seconds after leaving their bodies. "Make me one within your glory."


	4. Ch 4: The Wrath of Heaven, The Magician

The mountain path Cassandra and I followed was still basically a dirt path, in front of the bridge gate had been logs with pointy sticks coming off them in every direction, good to roll at enemies but what they were doing so close to people I had no idea, but there was also what I assumed passed for a fence around here at the edge of the path that dropped straight into rocky snowy oblivion, I use the word "fence" lightly, it was a sad little thing, maybe waist high and lilting precariously, really just there for a visual marker I suppose, but even then it was so meager I doubt it could be seen at a distance. While I was busily assessing the safety of the fence like I was some sort of workplace inspector a small group of men passed us.

"Maker, it's the end of the world!" one, semi cried as he went. As far as anyone could tell, yeah he was probably right. I looked up, noting the large braziers atop squat stone columns positioned in intervals so that they would cast sufficient light at night, but less than sufficient warmth ever, but also mildly surprised to find we were closer to the breach than before, much closer, it was massive. We kept up our pace, more at a jog now, past burning carts along the side of the path and few charred bodies among them, on one of the overturned half burning carts was a piece of dark cloth strewn in with the supplies I tugged at it, only slightly charred it was a woven shawl, I shrugged it on starting to feel the cold. The breach thundered again, at this range we could feel the shockwave pass through the ground beneath us and the mark flared again, nerves on fire I gave a wordless cry this time watching it creep an inch more down my wrist green sparks dancing through the bloody rivets. The nails on that hand were starting to turn black, not from burning, but just the pigment was changing. I didn't realize I was on my knees until Cassandra hooked her arms under mine and pulled me to my feet.

She was more gentle this time than she'd been before. She faced me her hands on my shoulders, I was breathing sharply, fingers curled into a fist nails drawing my own blood. "The pulses are coming faster now." She made sure I was righted and could stay on my feet before letting go.

I gave her a weak chuckle. "What, am I in childbirth now?"

She managed to give me a small smirk back before continuing on. "The larger the breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face."

"So any idea on how I survived?" I swung my arms around for a couple seconds before continuing down the path, we were approaching another bridge.

"They said you. . . stepped out of the a rift, then fell unconscious." She made her pace even with mine, or as much as she could with me being substantially shorter. " They say a woman was in the rift behind you, no one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes." Where the conclave took place. "I suppose you'll see soon enough." I just nodded my understanding, my hand was still tingling and really needed medical attention with all the bleeding but not much I could do about it now. The entrance to the bridge this time had no door, it was just an archway of four foot thick stone. Overall though, the bridge was the exact same as the previous one. There were some other people, scouts and soldiers near the far gate, the doors of which were open and a handful of soldiers were running through back onto the bridge. However in other more important news I found by randomly running my hands over my dress trying to wipe the blood off, that I had pockets! That lifted my spirits about a half second before the breach spit a green fireball that landed on the bridge right in front of me and exploded. The bridge collapsed, stone flying, both Cassandra and I dropped straight onto the frozen surface of a river. Amid now broken barrels, pieces of wood, random supplies and a handful of now dead people. Two of whom had been crushed. I looked up as a screeching sound seemed to approach us, another careening green baseball of death crashed through the side of a cliff ahead of us before landing in a flurry of ice shards a little upriver from us. The emerald stone of the ball splintered off and seemed to summon a trio of demons, all still dripping with green flame, they were vaguely humanoid with longer limbs and a hood over their faces, I guess even demons can be insecure, bits of scrap cloth draped over them, and gray skin pulled taut over a skeletal frame. Overall not pleasant, but at least they weren't green.

Cassandra sprang up shifting her shield onto her arm and drawing her sword. "Stay behind me!"

"Gladly!" I more or less croaked struggling to my feet, righting my shawl and my headscarf, noticing rather late that the green fire, more like napalm really, had traveled under the ice over in front of me and was in the process of both melting the ice and birthing a monster at the same time. Props for multitasking but sheesh. I scrambled to get around it stumbling over some of the supplies that came down with us in the process. The monster unfolded from the ice and screeched at me. I caught sight of a long stick, probably a staff, with a little ball orb thingy at the end, and proceeded to, once I got to my feet mind you, beat the shit out of the monster. I think it might have been surprised at first getting attacked by a five foot tall girl with a long stick but it soon started to try to hit back. A long arm caught my side, claws ripping through the dress but just grazing me as I sprang away, I'm sure this was a bigger matter but this dress had pockets, I wasn't about to let it get too torn up. I went in for another hit and realized that the two monsters Cassandra had been fighting apparently figured out I was the better target and were heading straight for me. Cassandra had the grace to look properly pissed and proceeded to haggle them the whole way, but to me they came. The staff was getting slick from the blood coming off my burned hand and slipped from my grasp as I smacked another monster across the face, what I assumed was the face, with it. Another one growled and made to stab me with a long fingered, sharp nailed hand. Adrenaline was rushing through my core, my heart pounding in my chest. With a burst I screamed at the monster mentally preparing myself to fight barehanded against them but apparently I didn't need to. That scream sent a wave of energy, the pent up adrenaline lessened a little as it went knocking down everything around me, including Cassandra unfortunately. The monsters struggled feebly before turning to ash. Holy fuck, did I do that? Cassandra shrugged off the effect of whatever I did as I picked up the trusty stick as a precaution.

She glared me and pointed the sword at me as soon as she was on her feet. "Drop your weapon. Now." I immediately dropped the quote on quote "weapon" and it clattered unceremoniously onto the ice.

She watched me for a minute in what must have been mild surprise before sighing and sheathing her sword. "Actually, you may need that. I cannot protect you completely and I cannot expect you to be defenseless."

I looked at the stick. "What am I supposed to do with that though?"

She frowned puzzled, "You're a mage don't you know how to use a staff?"

"I'm a what?!" I stepped back from the staff as if it was a dead body and examined my hands as if they could hold some secret clue as to how this happened, and in hindsight, there was a glaringly obvious one.

"You just used magic, did you not?" She folded her arms watching me, seemingly as confused as I was.

"Magic! I can't use magic! Are you crazy? There's no such. . ." I struggled for some deep breaths. There is an explanation for this, there is always an explanation, maybe something got attached to me when I was in the green portal thingy and that's why I have magic. Yeah, only real explanation I can think of.

"You've never used magic before?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"No." I rubbed my hands and bent to pick up the staff. "There is no magic where I come from."

She raised an eyebrow, "you're not from Thedas?"

I shook my head giving her a blank look that didn't take too much effort since Thedas meant nothing to me.

She raised both her eyebrows in surprise this time. "Really? How are you here then? Where did you come from? Who are you? How can they have elves but no magic where you're from?"

"I don't know, earth I guess, my name's America, and what do you elves, we don't have elves."

She gave me a look as if I'd grown another head. "You, are an elf."

I laughed, "I'm short but I'm not an elf really."

She pointed to my ears. "yes you are. Short even for an elf, I'd say half dwarf as well."

"The hell are you talking about I'm human-" I paled, reaching up and feeling my ears, they were actually unnaturally pointy and a little longer then they were before. "What the fuck?" I would have flipped a table had there been one available but instead all I could do was tug insistently at them feeling them thoroughly, I could still feel the nerves in them, even the pointy ends, did the green thing do this too?

I looked back at Cassandra a little in shock. "I wasn't an elf in my world I swear."

She just watched me for a moment. "Well, you are here. That will take some getting used to on your part I'm afraid." she turned and continued on following the frozen river then stopped. "I should remember you agreed to come willingly." She looked back at me, a little bit of something close to pity in her eyes.

I sighed trying my best to shake out the nerves I frazzled finding out I looked like an elf. "Uh huh, you better."

"So, where are all your soldiers?" I asked as we followed a bend in the river, a small waterfall was frozen over the stone lip above us, the land around the river was peppered with thin pipe-cleaner evergreens on which hung hundreds of delicate glittering icicles that numbered more than the pines on the actual tree. There were also scatterings of thin frozen shrubbery, some tough shrubbery I say, most of which looked normal. Then again, what do I know about botany.

"At the forward camp, or fighting. We're on our own for now." Cassandra waited for me a little upriver, I ran to close the distance.

"Fantastic," I panted. Most of the time while we hiked, I was at a semi jog or fast walk to keep up with her long strides. A sense of urgency had gripped her now and I hoped we were making time.

Apparently not since she snorted, "Don't worry, we'll get there," with a noticeable lack of the word "soon".

As we trudged on over the river, in which some bodies were also laying, literally dead people everywhere, I caught sight of a couple more demon things in our way.

We stopped a few feet out, the demons were busy being demons I guess, pacing or whatever was closest to that effect, back and forth across the river. Cassandra looked at me. "Are you ready?"

I shook my stick at her with a grin. "As I'll ever be. I'll get the hang of it sooner or later."

"Hopefully sooner," she slung her shield down onto her arm again and advanced carefully. I assigned myself as her backup though I doubt she really needed it and followed semi-close behind. Adrenaline was rushing again and I figured maybe what I was labeling as adrenaline was really magic or something, so I mentally started building constraints around it, visualizing it was a river and built a dam first visualized at the base of my throat as the magic streamed from the crown of my head down my spine, before building more constraints to direct it through my hands into the staff. Unsure what would happen, I pointed at one of the monsters and smashed the dam. There was static chill in the air and it suddenly smelled of toasted marshmallows as a lightning bolt, thankfully the normal blue white color, erupted from the top of the staff, electricity raced across my skin and my hair stood on end. It lasted for a good five seconds I'd guess before I finally figured out how to rebuild the dam and the monster was in ashes, a hole bore straight through the ice into the water below, also my poor trusty stick was smoking a little. Cassandra sheathed her sword when the other was dead and came over to me.

"That was good," she patted my shoulder and got a small static shock as a reward.

"Sorry," I picked up some snow to run though the ends of my headscarf that had lingering static on it. "Still a little static-y." I cocked my head looking at the ashes and the hole. "Think that was kind of overkill?"


	5. Ch 5: The Wrath of Heaven, Ace of Staves

I figured out I was the one that smelled like marshmallows after we fought a few more demons, including these ones that kind of looked like wispy torsos of people and were unfortunately as green and the Breach but fortunately died the same as I continuously used lightning as a prime attack, and I still smelled like marshmallows for a while afterwards. Which was bad, because I really wanted marshmallows and was damn near considering self cannibalism just to see if the magic suddenly made me taste like them too by the time we made it up some snow covered stone stairs, which I'm frankly surprised I didn't slip on, on our way up to a crumbling stone platform.

"We're getting close to the rift." Cassandra only sounded mildly out breath by this point, which was impressive. "You can hear the fighting."

"Who's fighting?" I finally almost slipped, but managed to right myself catching sight of another group of demons ahead who were engaged by a group of people who didn't look like demons, above all of them was a hovering piece of the emerald stone that was shaped like a spiky star and made metallic noises as it morphed into spikier and spikier versions of itself.

She probably didn't need to tell me but she did so anyway, "You'll see soon. We must help them!"

I sprinted past an alarmingly intact bridge, albeit one with burning stuff on it to my right, building up the magical energy getting ready to burst the dam directed into the staff. And proceeded to slip unceremoniously at the edge of the wall leading down to the fight. I passed it off as on purpose executing a sort of hero landing thing expelling a wave of lightning, controlling it around the people I assumed were friendly and straightened up like nothing happened, as I did so my trusty staff gave a groan and a crack, the orb at the top split and I tried to cough to cover it up. Not that I needed to, no one was paying attention to the little elf that just saved their asses, no they were all panicking about the rift. Granted the emerald shard thing had exploded looking half like a messed up spider's web, and half like vomit, understandably worrisome. Totally killed my appetite though, even my marshmallow smell couldn't save me.

"Quickly, before more come through!" One of the soldiers yelled. I, like the crazy person I was walked up to the green webbing just to get a closer look at where it converged and was followed by Cassandra who stood at the ready. One of the friendly people who were hanging around, well most were running trying to set up cover and get ready for another wave, this guy just walked up to me real calmly, he was an elf, by his elongated pointed ears and a mage too by the staff on his back came up to me. He took my marked hand by the wrist, gentle but firm, I was confused but assumed it was kind of like pregnant women and their bellies, you just kind of lose the autonomy of that part of your body and people feel like they can just touch it if they want to. Not that I cared too much. Just a hand after all, as long as no one cut it off I didn't really care.

He thrust it palm up to the green shard thing and it made a hissing noise, my hand grew hot, kind of hurt, not as much as the usual flashes though, just enough to be annoying. With a sudden whooshing inhale noise it imploded and fell in a flurry of greenish ash.

He dropped my hand and I flexed my fingers again making sure it still worked right, mildly confused but not really surprised, I don't think there was much anyone could do to surprise me at this point. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing," the thin elf motioned to my hand. "The credit is yours." He had high cheekbones, a thin face with wide set dark eyes and thin brows, basically overall thin. He was also profoundly bald.

"You mean this is useful," I looked at the mark again. "Well that's nice to know."

"Whatever magic opened the breach in the sky, also placed that mark upon your hand." He sounded quite sure of himself. I assume he was where Cassandra was getting all her intel on this thing. "I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake, and it seems I was correct." Finally someone who was actually thinking and making headway.

"Meaning it could also close the breach itself." Cassandra looked at me pointedly.

"Possibly." The elven man conceded. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation." I started some comment on how fucked we all were in that case but a muscular stocky man I could only assume was a dwarf, mainly because we were actually the same height, piped in pulling his gloves on tighter, a massive crossbow on his back.

"Good to know, here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." I grinned, I like this guy. he had light hair half of which was up in small ponytail. His red vest stitched with silver under a brown jacket was unbuttoned to his waist exposing an impressive amount of chest hair. "Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong." He winked at Cassandra who proceeded to scowl royally at him. I really liked this guy. Speaking of tagalongs, I'd kill for some girl scout cookies.

"Nice crossbow," I pointed at the thing that was as long as his arm if not longer and maybe as thick too.

"Ah, isn't she? Bianca and I have been through a lot together." He gave it a loving glance. I kinda wished I'd loved something half as much as it seemed like he loved that crossbow.

"That's a nice name, though I'll admit I'd have gone for something more threatening like ah. . . I don't know macaroni-grill or something."

"Macaroni-grill?" Cassandra sounded like she'd lost all hope in me in one word.

"Yeah, I mean who grills macaroni," I folded my arms only half serious. "Only a monster I tell you, macaroni is sacred."

Varric gave a good long laugh. "Oh maker," he wiped away a stray tear or mirth. "Either way, threatening name or not she'll be great company in the valley."

"I'm sure," I started when Cassandra stepped in.

"Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated Varric, but-"

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore, you need me." He gave her a winning smile. Considering she's put up with me this whole time I'm surprised she still had the energy to make a disgusted noise in response.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions." The elven man stepped to my side. "I'm pleased to see you still live."

"He means," Varric interpreted, ""I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.""

I glanced sidelong at him, "Then it seems I owe you my thanks."

"Thank me if we manage to close the breach without killing you in the process," he said. Point taken.

I looked at the mark again. "You seem to know a great deal about it all."

"Solas is an apostate, well versed in such matters." Cassandra still stood well away from Varric. Damn it, another vocabulary word.

"Technically all mages are now apostates Cassandra." Solas pointed out. I made a mental not to ask him about it later. "My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage." Oh boy, more stuff to know. "I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach, if it is not closed, we are all doomed. Regardless of origin." He's the expert I see, so I'll just ask him later when we have some time and were not either in the middle of fighting demons or freezing our asses off on mountainside.

"What about when this is over?" I asked figuring as a mage with all this business going on, being anywhere near people like Cassandra probably wasn't a good idea.

"One hopes those in power will remember who helped and who did not." He sighed before turning to Cassandra. "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood." She sounded like she'd already gathered that much. "We must get to the forward camp quickly." She turned and vaulted over a small wood barrier that was waist high to them and blocking the dirt path. I gave a long sigh, real tired from all this hiking I gotta say.

Varric walked up looking at the two go off with their long legs probably with the same trepidation as I, and cracked me a grin. "Well, Bianca's excited!"


	6. Ch 6: Wrath of Heaven, Two of Staves

"Demons ahead," Solas warned rather late, as we could hear them snuffling through the snow drifts and growling, making all sorts of demon-y noises below the rise we were on above the river. They must really like that river.

"Glad you brought me now Seeker?" Varric unslung Bianca from his back readying a bolt. Cassandra just leapt from the rise onto the river, probably an honest reply. Solas followed her as I cast a weary glance down. It probably looked farther than it was. Or at least that's what I wanted to tell myself. I was just going to go around when, like the poor unlucky idiot I was, I got hit by a blast from one of the green half demon things and slipped at the same time. I swore as I tried to bat out the green flames that stuck to my hair and dress, I swear my eyebrows singed a little, as I also tumbled gracelessly over the edge Varric following me with an entirely too enthusiastic yell. Unconsciously I put my hands out to catch myself and turned my face away. The magic took over and buffered us to the ground with a wind blast that slowed us to a stop a couple inches above the ice and abruptly let go. I landed on my face again with an unceremonious 'oompf' where Varric had gotten to his knees and fired bolts at the demons. One of which was bigger than the others with a crest of red feathers down it's back, reminded me of the headdress of those really offensive, really cheap Indian chief costumes that fourth graders sometimes wore, before they really learned about the genocide and the fact that Columbus was a complete and utter douche who may or may not have seen Florida and was like 'derp I think there's more land up there derp' and everybody acted like it was some big discovery. Anyway, off topic.

I scrambled to my feet and fired some lightning bolts of less intensity than usual, worried about my stick's health more than my own, probably not a healthy habit but I was really starting to like that stick, was even thinking about naming it. More marshmallows in the air and my stomach proceeded to growl furiously, reminding me that apparently I should eat something soon, maybe I should dub the stick Sir Marshmallow Maker, or maybe Sir Waffles, I had a cat named Waffles, he was kind of stupid, but I loved him anyway. A shame all in all though, about the hunger that is, not the cat, I totally had a bag of Doritos in my backpack. Thinking about it made me think of home though. I had stolen it from my dad who sometimes hoarded the junk food in his office and I was going to share it with Marcella at lunch, who may or may not even be alive. There was a pang in my chest which I unfortunately identified as hope. I shouldn't have hope. Hope that I wasn't actually dead, that I wasn't just in a coma, or that this was anything more than a fever dream, or if this was reality, that the Breach could just suck me back up and spit me back out at school amid the bodies, back into the gaze of the shooter with the box cutter in blue hoodie.

I dusted the snow off my dress, the hem was dirtied and it was a little damp in some places but it held up well, and the shawl was quite warm on top of that surprisingly enough. Cassandra and Varric finished off the last couple demons as Solas watched on, ready to jump in for help if needed. I pulled the shawl tighter across my shoulders wrapped the two ends across my chest and behind my back tying it in a little bow at the small of my back to keep it in place, before reclaiming my stick from the ground where I'd laid it. The blood along it was frozen where it was in reddish clumps, but I didn't care. I still didn't have a splinter yet and that in itself was a miracle. When Cassandra and Varric were done we moved on, crossing the river and approaching the stair that climbed up the side of a substantial hill.

The wide stone stairs were on the other side of the river flanked by what I assumed to be hunting cottages. The one on the left was on fire, per usual I suppose, the one on the right had bear traps on the porch, looked kinda stupidly dangerous but there was also a corpse on the porch as well, cute, looks like he didn't die from the bear trap though, surprisingly enough. I blew out a long breath before starting up the stairs.

"So, are you innocent?" Varric was behind me with Solas and Cassandra.

Don't know why I was going first but there I was. Also don't know anybody who thinks asking a question while going upstairs is a good idea. "To be honest, I have no fucking clue. Don't remember."

"That'll get you everytime," he chuckled, "should've spun a story." How was he not out of breath? His legs were just as short as mine.

Cassandra scoffed in disgust, I was beginning to think that was a default for her. "That's what you would've have done."

"It's more believable," he pointed out, "and less prone to premature execution."

Couldn't argue with that, well, probably could, but anyway. "Well, you know, it would help if I knew where I was and the rules of the world here because it's definitely not in the world I'm used to, I'll tell you that much."

"Really, not from this world?" For the first time hearing it he didn't sound particularly surprised or impressed for that matter, but then again he was a storyteller, probably didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "Wow, screwed right from the beginning."

I coughed a laugh, which was the most I could do being mostly out of breath. "I know right?"

As we reached the summit I stifled an internal groan at the sight of even more demons in our path, two of them were the green ones that had conveniently perched themselves on little outcrops so they had a better view of us. But I quickly took them out with a couple well aimed blasts as Cassandra made her way to the actual humanoid demon things that were screeching at us like we didn't hear them the first time. The staff gave a creaking groan.

"I'm sorry Sir Waffles, I'll be more careful next time I promise." I muttered to it under my breath. Solas had been somewhat near me and gave a me a look with what might have been concern but I made a point not to look at him and focused on the magic inside me wondering if I could do anything else besides lightning, but worried to try anything because I didn't want to break Sir Waffles.

Cassandra cut down the last demon with a grunt and sighed sheathing her sword. "I hope Leliana made it through all this." Concern knit her brow.

Varric made a point of keeping Bianca out and only readied another bolt. "She's resourceful, seeker."

"We'll see for ourselves at the forward camp." Solas sounded resigned, which I now assumed was probably his default like disgusted was Cassandra's.

"Where is this ever elusive forward camp anyway?" I made sure not to lean too much on Sir Waffles as we kept on up the hill past at least three more overturned burning carts but only a couple more corpses, that was somewhat promising I suppose in a very grim way.

"We're almost there." Solas reassured me, as I eyed the next set of stairs with contempt. He probably thought I was delirious after hearing me dub Sir Waffles.

"Oh really?" I panted, my lungs felt like they wanted to kill me. " Lovely."

"Another rift!" Cassandra drew her sword falling into a ready stance. The edges of the green rift could be seen bleeding into the air and the spiked heart could be heard from where we were almost to the landing.

"We must seal it!" Solas proceeded to help me by pushing me up the rest of the stairs to the landing. "Quickly!"

"Working on it!" I grunted spinning Sir Waffles, the magic bled into my muscles making the ache lessen and branching into my lungs giving me new breath. The landing at the top of the stairs lead to the archway of another bridge with a pair of thick wooden doors that were of course closed, as they should be with demons outside them, the demons were engaged with a trio of people in leather armor.

"They keep coming, help us!" one yelled, like we were going to waltz right by them or something. The doors to the bridge were likely bolted anyway against the demons.

"Hurry use the mark!" Solas felled the last demon and the rift vomited itself up again.

"Yeah yeah give me a sec," I got closer to it. We were damn lucky I didn't have to actually be able to reach the rifts. They were a good seven or eight feet above the ground, so we'd be screwed if that had been the case. Or I could have just sat on someone's shoulders whenever I needed to, which would've looked pretty stupid, just a teetering tower of bodies all screaming swears and insults at each other, sounds like school sports, but whatever, that wasn't needed. I faced my palm up to it and sucked it all up in the mark. I didn't really have to do anything besides point my palm really, and endure a little bit of pain that didn't seem like much at all compared to the Breach's insistent occasional stabbing.

Before the ashes even had a chance to settle Cassandra was calling, "the Rift is gone! Open the gate!"

"Right away Lady Cassandra!" I assume there were a couple of hasty scouts not wanting to get on her bad side that were on the other side to pull the heavy wooden doors open so quickly.

"We're clear for the moment," Solas gave the landing a good look around as the trio scrambled through ahead of us. "Well done." I gave him only a grunt in response.

"Whatever that thing on your hand is, it's useful." Varric slung Bianca back onto his back.

The doors opened to a foursome of soldiers in their makeshift armor. Two with shields, one with a sword and the last with a staff. They stood by as we went through, a couple eyed me wearily but they were by far more concerned about the demons that often lurked right outside the doors. Smart on their part, and nice to see that they weren't totally preoccupied with all this murderer stuff. I mean really, it's a little over the top.

"We must prepare the soldiers!" I heard Leliana from where we were making our way across the bridge. she was standing by a desk at the far end of in front of a man in the red and white smock uniform that I assume marked him as a Chantry Priest. What he was doing here was beyond me, but it looked like negotiations were at a standstill.

"We will do no such thing!" He sounded in tone like a toddler who didn't get his way and was arguing with someone who was clearly his elder.

"The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It's our only chance." she tried to reason with him, evidently not realizing there was no reason left to be had. I gave a passing glance to a couple of scouts gathered around a map staring at it with the intensity I usually reserved for my AP homework.

"You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility!" His voice went shrill and I noted the bodies still laid out along the sides, though considerably fewer here, they were still dusted lightly with snow, which still fell, albeit even more half heartedly then back in Haven.

" _I_ have caused trouble?" She crossed her arms sounding like she was so done with his shit. This was of course the point where we had come close enough to where our presence demanded to be known. Leliana looked tired, much like she'd been arguing with him for hours, which I don't doubt she had.

"Ah, here they come" he sounded mildly smug, and that made me want to turn him around and beat him over the backside with Sir Waffles, I hated smug people who didn't actually do shit. I made a mental note of the fact that his little cap hat thing over the white cowl was black instead of red with a miniature gold stitched version of the eye with rays symbol.

"You made it." Leliana gave a halfhearted smile and came around the table to greet us. "Chancellor Roderick, This is-"

"I know who she is." He gave her a condescending stare, which looked worse than intended through his patchwork stubble around thin lips and a furrowed almost uni-brow. "As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry," he puffed his chest, "I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution." I raised my eyebrows in surprise, considering I was the only one who could close the Rifts and possibly the breach, that seemed the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.

""Order me"?" Cassandra stepped in front of me. "You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" she looked more than a little annoyed at this point.

"And you are a thug," he retorted, "but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!" Ooh, that was a burn right there. I wondered if I could conjure up some popcorn or something with magic.

"We serve the most Holy, Chancellor," Leliana said pointedly looking at him with her hands innocently behind her back. "As you well know."

"Justinia is dead!" He put his hands up towards Leliana as if she'd just suggested that he eat dog crap or better yet, use crap as a weapon against the demons, actually on second thought, that might have been his plan, for all the urgency he was showing. "We must elect a replacement and obey _her_ orders on the matter!"

"So are we just going to stand here and argue or are we going to, oh I don't know, actually try closing the rip in the sky that kind of wants to kill us?" I couldn't help myself, I thought everybody was making such a big deal on this being urgent, like imminent destruction is upon us all right now, not in a few weeks maybe.

"You brought this on us in the first place!" He gave me an accusing stare and a finger to go along with it. I rolled my eyes to show him how much his threats meant to me. He heaved a sigh as if I was the difficult one here and turned back to Cassandra, "Call a retreat Seeker, our position here is hopeless."

"We can stop this before it's too late." Cassandra matched him across the table with one her signature intense stares.

"How?" He threw up his arms in defeat and frustration. "You won't survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers." He actually sounded just a little sorry, a little hopeless, a little tired.

"We must get to the temple, it's the quickest route." she disregarded his questions probably assuming the way I did that he wasn't about to hear us out on anything we said we could do, also we didn't exactly have the time to sit here and explain over a cup of tea.

"But not the safest." Leliana stepped forward into the conversation. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." She pointed up at the mountains she was referring to. Not that I could see what exactly she was referring to, there were mountains everywhere, no matter where we went we'd be going through mountains.

"We lost an entire squad on that path, it's too risky." Cassandra shook her head.

"Listen to me," Chancellor cut in. Hey buddy, that's my line. "Abandon this now before more lives are lost!" At least he seemed mildly concerned now. Right on cue the Breach thundered overhead spitting green tendrils of flame that highlighted all of our features. I had been in the middle of mentally trying to draw up popcorn but not quite getting there apparently. The magic in me was more than a little unstable and flared up in response to the mark once again burning, muscles tensed, burned rays inching along like the little train that could. I flipped the palm up to take a look at it while it was doing it's thing, not quite a good idea and as it was a little blinding. I shook it out as the green sparks faded, accidentally hitting Cassandra's shield and shocking myself in the process.

"Ah shist!" I kind of wanted to strangle my hand if only that were possible, it was pulsing and burning and the magic built up behind the pain was unintentionally poured into a little mental tray I'd made to try to create popcorn, hopefully that wouldn't shock me too.

"How do you think we should proceed?" Cassandra had approached me while I was busy with my hand (get your mind out of the gutter I know what you're thinking) and managed to pop that question. I was so surprised a few pieces of popcorn actually popped into existence near my head bouncing off my shoulders and into the dirty snow on the bridge. Utter waste, they were 'butter lover' flavored too.

"'Scuse me?" I managed. "I'm making decisions? Deciding what now? Why you asking me?"

"You have the mark." Solas reminded me, I gave him a flat stare.

"And you are also the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own. . ." Cassandra just shrugged watching me. I noticed she'd significantly softened on me since she first led me out of Haven, more than pity there was a little bit of respect in there, somewhere, I'm sure.

I rubbed my hand on my dress thoughtfully. Through the mountain pass or charge with the soldiers. "To be honest, I'd rather charge." I looked up at the breach. "We don't even know if I'll live long enough for your trial. Whatever happens, happens now."

I looked back at Cassandra who nodded steeling her features. "Leliana, bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone." Leliana nodded in return and immediately began off back towards the group of soldiers near the gate, resignation had consumed us all.

I trotted behind her as we headed towards the other end of the bridge. Chancellor Roderick was hunched over his desk, and barely spared us a glance as we went. "On your head be the consequences, Seeker." I tried to aim a glare at him as we went but I doubt he noticed. When I turned back, Cassandra's hands were in fists at her sides, she straightened her back determined to look confident in my, and subsequently her, decision. I destroyed the popcorn tray, I didn't think it'd be possible to drown a demon in popcorn, or at least, not nearly as noble as I think it'll need to be to keep Cassandra up.


	7. Ch 7: Wrath of Heaven, Three of Staves

There was of course, more hiking that needed to be done in order to get to the front, through stone passes and crumbled paths among half buried corpses that grew progressively more burned, which we did with a solemn silence joined quickly by determined soldiers with glistening unbarred steel, as the hail of green fireballs grew harder as we passed some border to where we became too close for them to hit. That was when the soldiers began to run. The air seemed filled with a thousand puffs of breath as the ablaze houses and carts here, were none but wet ashes. We reached another forward camp with our straggled soldiers under a smoking stone arch that marked the way straight up to the temple. Which itself was hidden, by waves of dozens of jagged green black glass like fangs in the maw of the leviathan that cascaded past the camp down the mountain sides. They were hundreds of feet in height, as tall as the rocket-ships we sent to the moon.

We paused for a quick break, I tried my best to nibble a piece of stale bread I was given by a strangely optimistic soldier who had passed at the same time my stomach made a habit of complaining, while watching the Breach, leaning on the wall under the arch. So much closer it was, I could feel pulses of magic coming off it in suppressing waves. On the path up in front of the arch more spiky logs were getting maneuvered about by some soldiers along with some elevated platforms that were probably for snipers but lacked any cover up top, not that I assumed we had many archers, most men I'd seen had swords. The black glass raised in what seemed like walls along the sides of the camp, like the arms of some armored mother welcoming her children unto the dark of death.

It was an understatement to call the camp small and hardly defensible, completely open to the elements and it was still snowing, the people were even more gaunt than that of Haven busy fiddling with gear or setting up those defenses, otherwise, little to no chatter, loitering was limited to men no older than boys with folded arms against the cold and ignored sheathed swords pushing around snow with the tips of their boots. The archway was flanked at the top of a short staircase with two six foot stone columns with braziers at the tops and red banners down the front with three golden suns going down and golden tassels at the bottom two corners. Further flanking the stairs on the right were the wounded in rows, curled in fetal positions under the slow snow on thin pallets with no blankets and only one chantry priest trying to help, on the left, rows of bodies wrapped in thin canvas, straight and neat under the care of another priest presumably giving them their last rites in case their bodies were destroyed. Cassandra was checking in with the squad leaders of what meager forces we had who were positioned in front of two long tables with a few banged up shields and arms which were in turn in front of two very thin canvas tents who seemed in great danger of collapsing at any moment, Varric was at one of the tables stocking up on bolts for Bianca.

I didn't notice Solas glide up before he spoke. "Do you want to replace your staff? It seems to be a bit worn as of late." I edged sir Waffles out of the crook of arm and gave him a good long look over. The misty light pink orb at the top was cracked almost all the way through but held tight in its small metal cradle, the grain in the wood looked like it was beginning to split in some places and the bloody clumps looked waxy in the pale light of day.

I sighed. "Nah, looks like he could hold out for a few more fights." I gave Solas a shaky smile. He nodded respectfully before leaving, hands clasped lightly behind his back, you know, I wonder if anyone ever offered him a hat?

I gave up on the sad partial loaf of bread that felt like it was beginning to freeze half in spite of my hunger and in retribution against my reluctance to eat, and just pocketed it. I turned to see if Cassandra was ready when the air hissed and spit over the men working on the defenses ahead of the arch. I turned in time to see the emerald spiky star form in a shock wave that knocked down the soldiers and birthed demons as they screamed. A couple men were felled right off the bat as the defenses were destroyed, the towers collapsing on them and I started full sprint towards the fight, I really wasn't cut out to be a mage, I just wanted to hit something with Sir Waffles.

I dove forwards with a yell and scatterings of lightning exploded from Sir Waffles killing at least two demons, the soldiers who were fighting them immediately turned to help their brothers in arms and I heard the clang of metal on metal and cry from Cassandra as she barreled through, as mad as I was. A couple bolts found a home in the chest of another demon felling it as it screamed. I ran into the fray with Cassandra expelling burst of lightning in waves ritually knocking the demons down to be dealt with easier trying mostly to reach the wounded men. I slapped the arms of the ones fighting as I went by to retreat. We had this under control. They were grateful though reluctant to leave us on our own, loyal and brave to a fault, even if they didn't know us well. Cassandra slew demon after demon of which there was also a new kind, spindly and reminding me of a praying mantis it looked like it could stab a bitch with a finger and screeched even louder and creepier than I thought it could with such a tiny torso, but magic I guess. Varric and Solas sniped away at the green wispy ones that acted as range attackers for the demons. I made it to one of the rubbles of debris, of which there were three, and in my rage I think I tried to stab the demon trying to attack the soldier stuck under a beam with Sir Waffles, the soldier's comrade was busy fending off another demon. I zapped the one I tried inefficiently to stab and then spun around and whacked the other one in the head giving the soldier time to kill it. He returned immediately to trying to get his friend out. I pushed up my sleeves, laid down Sir Waffles, and pooled my magic into my nonexistent arm muscles and proceeded to lift the beam with ease. The soldier pulled his friend who must have had a broken leg by the way he screamed, to safety. I threw the beam away shouldering up my shawl that skewed to one side and picked up Sir Waffles.

"Get back to camp," I panted lessening my use of magic for a minute, fatigue filled my chest as Cassandra finished off the last demon and the Rift vomited its insides up again. The soldiers gave me a look of pure thanks, and I flashed them a crooked grin as I put my hand up to close the Rift.

"How many Rifts are there?" I heard Varric's annoyance as his came closer.

"Too goddarn many," I rubbed my wrist once I was finished.

"Sealed, as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this." Solas strode forward observing the rain of green ashes.

I grunted, "Better hope so."

Varric snorted, "Let's hope it works on the big one."

"Ditto." I looked up the trail, that winded this way and that all the way to the temple at the top. The wounded soldiers were getting help from the non-wounded ones and there were more that a handful of corpses laying around some crushed and other felled by the demons, who I assumed would get picked up later. Cassandra came over evidently unaware she was followed by a tall blond man with broad shoulders and eyes that cemented my hunch that he was a veteran.

"Lady Cassandra," he came close enough to finally warrant her attention, "you managed to close the Rift? Well done." He looked tired, in dark clothes all around, under small strategic pieces of metal plate and a dark red cloak that criss-crossed his body lined at the top with blackish red fur.

"Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoner's doing." Cassandra waved towards me with a hand. Ooh Commander, that's an impressive title. Damn straight it's my doing, but I really don't need people to keep looking at me like I'm some sort of other-wordly being. On second thought, that's pretty accurate.

"Is it?" He nailed me with pale eyes and I just pursed my lips, cleared my throat, and swung my arms in awkwardness, watching the other soldiers as they muscled their way through the rubble to retrieve still alive friends. "I hope they're right about you. We've lost a lot of people getting you here."

I coughed, more than aware of how many people we had and probably will lose before the day was over. "You're not the only one hoping that, trust me."

He sighed, "we'll see soon enough, won't we?" He turned to Cassandra. "The way to the Temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there." I assume she'd be bringing reinforcements with her when she does, and I hope for her sake that she doesn't run into any more Rifts along the way.

Cassandra nodded her thanks. "Then we'd best move quickly. Give us time, Commander." I wasn't sure it was fair to ask that of him, especially since that time would cost more lives. Though I guess, greater good and all that jazz is probably why.

"Maker watch over you." He started back towards the camp with all the soldiers, most helping the wounded as well. "For all our sakes." He turned fully and after catching sight of one wounded man who was staggering by himself he went quickly to aid him. Good to see him helping out his soldiers, that was a Commanding officer I could get behind. . . . I know what you're thinking, and no not like that.

The rest of the way was spent in a somber silence and a light jog, met at the end with a small two or three foot drop off in what used to be the road, that was half melted and half blown to pieces. We smelled the Temple long before we actually saw it, ash was carried in the winter air whose gentility seemed to belie some macabre unfathomable purpose, in its chill it carried as well, the smell of charred hair and burning flesh. The stone walls of the temple were blasted and some of looked like it had been melted away mortar that had begun dripping were frozen in drops clinging to the stone slabs. The floor was covered in frozen lava and ash mixing with the dirt. People were everywhere. They reminded me of the corpses that were dug up from Pompeii, frozen in various stages of terror, in the process of running, helping others, or simply screaming as they were caught in fire, skin liquefied having come off them in clumps, their blackened skeletons with flesh pulled taut the texture of Jerky covering them. Clothing had burned off, as well as hair, and really any discernible feature besides mouths open in screams and eye sockets that leaked blood clumps staring up at the sky that only answered their horror with green lightning and menacing rolls of thunder.

"The temple of Sacred Ashes." Solas was the first to break silence and he gazed out at the scene before us with little more than mute resignation in his dark eyes.

"What's left of it." Varric pulled a strained face and his voice was barely more than a hoarse murmur, passing a couple who'd been holding each other with one arm outstretched to some unseen attacker when they were killed. I tightened my grip on Sir Waffles and gulped. I don't even know what the fuck I'm going to do to close the damn thing. What if I can't do it?

"That is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you." Cassandra pulled up behind me, her lips in a hard line and her eyes tired, probably seeing this sight not for the first time and expecting it to not be her last either.

"Didn't feel like I walked out," I cleared my throat attempting to retrieve my humor even though all I could think of was that the snow wasn't white anymore, it was gray. "Felt more like I fell."

"You did reportedly fall over as soon as you came out," Cassandra shrugged. I'll admit it was a little funny that while I swear I fell more than a meager five feet it must have been quite amusing for the soldiers to see someone walk out calmly before promptly falling flat on their face.

I coughed a small laugh and shook my head before taking a deep breath, forgetting that all I was going to get was a lungful of burned skin and ashes of hair, and thus trying not to end up in a coughing fit I straightened up clearing my throat in an effort to lessen the urge and started down into the main part of the temple.

Crumbling half melted colonnades marked the way before us down into the part of the building that was still somewhat intact, squat and sunken into the earth, as if it too was trying to escape the Breach that bore down from above. It was surrounded by the black green glass that erupted from the ground like flames, it looked almost as if the temple was a meteor that had crashed into the earth and everything had simply froze into the strange glass around it as the earth pulled back to swallow it whole. We entered through a sunken doorway that must have once been huge, inside I brushed my fingertips along the walls that I could see had once been beautiful, carved dark veined marble and faded frescos between columns. Every wall, every floor tile, was splattered with burned blood and still burning corpses screaming soundlessly to the air, their gaping mouths filled with flame that licked the insides of their hollowed out skulls, flickering through their eye sockets above collapsed chests and gaunt hands with crumbling fingers. They all marred the Temple that must have been to them, a place of sanctuary.

As we rounded one of the many twists from which the fire glowed no longer gold, but green staining the columns, we came quite suddenly to the inner atrium. It must have once been a garden area by the looks of it. Square and massive in size framed by walkways and staircases both with ornate hand sculpted railings at the corners of which were columns used as pedestals for equally ornate marble statues. Each about nine feet tall unpainted of the same dark veined marble as the rest of the temple. Except for the eyes. There were glass inserted into the marble sockets with shards of gemstones for the irises. Everything was threaded violently with black green glass, that broke the marble like bone through skin, along with other weird red glass peppered about that I hadn't seen before. Not that I'd seen much before but you get the idea. Is it bad to say it reminded me a little of Christmas? The red and green and all, not the destruction, though maybe I'd feel differently about that if I were a Walmart employee during the holidays. All that marble though, carvings and paintings, must've taken more than a lifetime to complete, and all gone, in a matter of seconds. At the heart of the scorched garden sat the biggest spiky star I had seen as of yet, borne more than twelve feet high with the root of the Breach's lightning cutting through its heart. It sat fat and torpid reminding me of a large cat curled in a corrupted regality in the lap of a supervillian. If only the Breach had a ghostly hand to stroke it with and call it Lucifer or something.

"The Breach _is_ a long way up." Varric commented turning a slow circle to take in all there was to be taken in.

I coughed a laugh, most I could do, feeling like most of my nose hairs along with half my alveoli were burned right out with that smell of charcoaled hair, the rest still suffocating in edema at the smell of burnt flesh. "I know right? That elitist ass douche canoe."


	8. Ch 8: Wrath of Heaven, Four of Staves

I don't think they had time to comprehend, let alone appreciate, my totally accurate description of the Breach when Leliana called out from behind us.

"You're here!" She came at us with a jog followed by a stream of archers and swordsmen, don't know where she got all those archers from, I mean I guess some were probably proficient in both sword and bow, but what idiot chooses to use his sword in a fight with demons over his bow, with which he's way more likely to survive. Back to the point. "Thank the Maker." She breathed when she got close enough.

"Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple." Cassandra immediately took charge gesturing approximately where she wanted them with a wave. Leliana nodded and went back to her men who had clumped around those that must have been group captains, and proceeded to begin giving directions and orders. I watched them pass, each more pale in fear than the last, all cast in the sickly green of the Breach that sculpted sharp lines into their faces and hands, but all stoic in their brows with white knuckled fists on their weapons, ready to fight through it. The very definition of bravery I'd say. I hoped, somewhat in vain, to emulate them in that moment.

"This is your chance to end this." Cassandra stepped into my peripheral vision. She too was pale but also resigned, and probably channeling enough hatred to take on the Breach herself. "Are you ready?" She was asking me that question. Like anyone could really answer that as a yes the way it was wanted. Like I really knew what I was doing. I was probably the only one literally a fish out of water here.

I looked back at the Breach. "Uhhh, yeah I guess, I mean I'm not real good in the vertical height department so I'm not entirely sure how you plan to get me up there."

"No." Solas looked hard at the cat Rift as if he could somehow stab it with his eyes. Would've been impressive, granted. "This Rift was the first, and it is the key. Seal it and perhaps we seal the Breach."

"Okay, but I'm not liking that 'perhaps' part." I shouldered Sir Waffles into a better grip and the magic started thrumming through my spine again. Fatigue slipping from me. I really needed this back home when I pull all-nighters to finish homework.

"Noted." Cassandra grunted starting off, presumably to hunt down one of the staircases I could see from here but had no idea how to get to. "Let's find a way down." And as an afterthought, "and be careful." As if it need reiterating.

"After you," I gestured, wholly aware of my unpreparedness walking into this situation. More than that, I was not leading the group in trying to wander around finding the stairs. Hell no. When I was really little my parents took me into the funhouse at the state fair, now let me explain I live in Fairbanks Alaska, the state fair looks like half a county fair to most of states and the funhouse was tiny in the vein of everything else I suppose. Anyway, my point. I got lost and cried for about half an hour in the mirror maze, it was barely even a maze, almost literally a hall. My mom had to come in and carry me out, I remember clinging to her plain black silk hijab, she smelled like jasmine and roasted rice that day.

Cassandra shrugged and hopped over a precarious railing. I sighed following after and helping Varric over as well. Solas watched us with minor amusement as I nearly slipped, on dirt mind you, pulling over Varric who grunted when he landed.

"I hate those damn things," he muttered rubbing his back.

"Why is everyone so tall?" I picked up Sir Waffles and trotted after Cassandra who was waiting impatiently at a turn up ahead. The green glass I learned, was slippery when stepped as we continued following that path that wound around the edges of the square garden, passing patrols of soldiers who gave us respectful nods as we passed.

"Now is the hour of our victory." A voice pulsed across us menacingly low and rolling like thunder.

Moving on a reflex I had no idea I even had, I did a sort of duck and weave motion, like I could somehow avoid thunder. "Jesus Christ, what the fuck was that?"

"Bring forth the sacrifice." If there was a ever a perfect bad guy voice, it was this.

"What are we hearing?" Cassandra sounded only slightly perturbed a crease in her brow as she looked about the sky in confusion. I guess this sort of thing happens often? Kind of a delayed reaction in my opinion.

"At a guess, the person who created the Breach." If it was at all possible Solas managed to sound unimpressed and slightly bored wrinkling his nose in distaste. As if he thought he could do a better job.

I in turn figured I could make a better distasteful face and did so looking towards the Breach, to remind it I still thought it was a little piece of shit. Like human shit, because at least Moose turds have some economic value. I hardly noticed that we'd neared the red glass until we nearly on it and the red light coming off started staining the edges of my vision. Growing out from the wall some of the crystals had been broken but a majority of them were still there growing up from the bottom of the wall as if reaching for one of the statues that was adjacent to it. I moved my distasteful look towards the red crystals instead. The light that was in it wasn't coming from the sun though, that was clear.

"You know this stuff is red Lyrium, Seeker." Varric sounded more than a little troubled, red mist was spilling off the crystals like it was sweating. The light inside it pulsing in time with the Breach.

"I see it, Varric." She was terse, apparently they'd had this conversation before and for her at least, it was over.

"But what's it doing here?" Varric obviously had strong feelings about this red Lyrium substance, he made it sound dangerous.

"Magic could have drawn on Lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it. . ." Solas mused hands clasped once again behind his back.

Varric gave a small scoff in disgust. "It's evil." Cassandra evidently was not having it as she continued walking without looking back or responding as we rounded the corner it was nestled in. There were small pebbles of the red Lyrium that littered the ground. It was kind of pretty in a way. I bent to pick a piece up for inspection when Varric grabbed my arm. I looked at him and found fear there. Stark terror in his eyes as he gave me a mute shake of the head. I backed off and he let go shivering when he looked at the shards and hurried away to Cassandra's side. I watched the bits a moment longer pushing them around with my toe, the red light soaking into the hungry dirt. I looked up and made to follow, finding that Solas was studying me. Hard eyes and a neutral expression, I was the first to look away and hurry after Varric and Cassandra.

"Keep the sacrifice still." The thunder sky voice thing came again loud and clear. One would think this would be sloppy for the person who made the Breach to let something like this get magically recorded or whatever was happening.

"Someone help me!" That voice came through somewhat unclear, like a reverb passing through it sucking the sound back into where it came from. And, it was female.

Cassandra started, "that is Divine Justinia's voice!" Some pieces are starting to come together I see, though clearly Justinia is dead now, sacrifice and all. Something tugged at the back of my mind as we rounded the last corner, thank God, and scrambled down the stairs. We were all damn near sprinting by now. The soldiers were confused and scared, clutching their weapons tightly in huddles near each other, faces drawn and lips thin in anticipation. The last part of the staircase was missing but we simply jumped, it wasn't that far anyway, and that was far from our first concern at the moment. There was more than a full squadron below positioned in teams around the column thing that sat in the middle of the garden, with Leliana pacing in front of the Rift which still hadn't done shit funnily enough, her face pale and drawn. The column or pillar thing reminded me of an obelisk made of dark stone and mortar it was broken off at approximately where the Rift sat with a squat square base at which red Lyrium grew in bushes, crystals pointing outwards as if to ward off anyone who would attempt to climb it.

I approached the Rift, disconcerted. Usually we had to kill off some demons before I was able to close it, would it be the same here? And if so, I had a feeling the demons would be substantially more difficult than the others. It was clear they were just small fry. The mark began to hiss and spit sparks, worse than it had before but I was determined not to fall in pain now, no matter how bad it got, I clutched my marked arm mutely with the other hand nails digging in and drawing blood.

"Someone help me!" Justinia's voice came again the same as it had before. No change in the level of intensity, still pleading, still afraid, and still in pain. I winced physically in sympathy and I saw Leliana's face drain even further. She turned away.

There was a wordless scream that now followed. I paused, was that mine? It was followed by a small "What?" more a breath than anything.

"That is your voice." Cassandra came up to me. "The Most Holy called out to you. But. . " She grabbed my arm once again, and I shook my head, it was beginning to throb like I was being repeatedly stabbed with a blunt knife. Cassandra seemed to notice that I was bleeding from my own nails and gave a small gasp.

The rift then exploded, and not in the usual vomiting sort of way, it was more in a black smoky way and painted the unclear picture of a large figure with red eyes, tall and thin, whereas the Divine was in utter clarity in her red and white sheath shaped ankle length dress, the tall pope hat thing I saw before was in all its detailed red, white, and gold glory and, if one had the patience, one could practically count the wrinkles on Justinia's face as she was held magically in front of him. Thanks for nothing you little Oobleck colored douche canoe.


	9. Ch 9: Wrath of Heaven, Wheel of Fortune

I strained to look at the scene was happening above us through my migraine. The villain figure was staring down the Divine who was decently holding her own with a glare back that only partially hid her fear. A blast of green light accompanied by a scream, my scream when the police had opened fire and then suddenly I was there, all bloody and crumpled to the floor the Sig Saur hanging thinly in one hand while the other clutched the knife wound. My eyes were wide and confused, uncomprehending what horror was before me. Lying all around the red eyed guy were the bodies of people, more than the ones in my school, lowborn and highborn alike closer to a hundred in number and bloodier, more as if they'd been ripped apart. I felt my wounds again in memory pulsing with pain and Cassandra was basically the only thing holding me up at this point. The illusion me glanced at the Divine and the red eyed guy choking out a small "What?" between pants of much needed breath.

"Run, please!" Justinia called to me " Warn them!" I gave her a confused glance and a cock of the head.

"We have an intruder." The villain raised a long arm with lengthy thin fingers with nails like knives toward me. "Slay her." Even illusion me was having none of his shit, and obviously took one look and realized he must be the bad guy in this situation. I mean really, who walks around with red eyes and doesn't expect to get shanked for being suspicious? I raised the assault rifle and screamed with all the rage I still had left in me, unloading at least fifteen bullets in him before the vision dissipated, the burned images of me shooting the villain, evidently unsuccessful, while Justinia must have looked on with confusion and shock at my weapon.

"You _were_ there!" Cassandra turned back to me, the Rift's green glow rested on her brows darkening her eyes. " Who attacked?" She shook me and my brain felt like it was being scrambled, the migraine continuing and the mark continuing as well in all its jerkiness. "And the Divine, is she. . ? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?" She was yelling at me by the end but I was having trouble keeping consciousness let alone being able to answer her questions even if I knew what she was talking about or what she wanted to know.

"Cassandra!" Solas ran up to her and laid a hand on her arm and she seemed to realize for the first time, I was not cowering in fear or cowardice, I was in pain. As it seems I often am. I groaned, everything was fuzzy but I could see the Rift as a green star through the haze and knew I had to try to stay conscious, be able to do something when I was needed, but my legs were limp and my weight almost completely resting on her holding my arm.

"These are echoes of what happened here." Solas explained as Cassandra pulled me up straighter holding me with both hands as I tried unsuccessfully to try to stand again. "The Fade bleeds into this place." He looked back up at the Rift his hands resting on his staff the green light reflecting off his eyes. "This Rift is not sealed, but it is closed. . . Albeit temporarily." I struggled back to my feet as the mark calmed itself marginally and siphoned off magic to help ease me back to consciousness and a state of bearable pain at the very least. I had the hunch that the magic couldn't cure my lingering pain of exhaustion, it could only mask it. Which was more dangerous than anything else. "I believe that with the mark, the Rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely." He turned back to us. Cassandra stayed near me seemingly ready to catch me should I end up unable to stand again. I didn't get the chance to say how thankful I was for that small gesture.

I snorted at Solas shifting my aching feet and blinking as my vision came back to normal, "safely my ass." I twisted to crack my back.

He shrugged in admittance watching me warily. "Opening the Rift will likely attract attention from the other side."

"That means demons," Cassandra adopted a commanding voice, projecting so the soldiers could hear, "stand ready!" She, Solas, and Varric followed me closer to the Rift. Cassandra drew her sword and slung her shield down onto her forearm, Solas kept his staff in a maneuverable grip and Varric loaded Bianca. The other soldiers were falling in from all sides, the men who had swords drew them in ready stances, scared but determined, the archers strung their bows, checked their arrow supply, and placed one at the ready watching the Rift with anxiety. I made sure to give them plenty of time to ready themselves for what the upcoming battle might be, at least, that's what I was telling myself, all the while pretending to not notice that my hands were shaking, and it was not out of the cold.

I took a breath, out here in the middle of the charred garden open to the mountain peaks, the bitingly cold air swept down in currents, bringing with it a cool glacial scent that cleared my lungs and shocked my senses. I pulled the magic back out, up my spine to the crown of my head where all my little dams and mazes were to direct it and let it pool. Buzzing through my senses riding the waves of cold air. I gave a last once over to the men and looked at Leliana, who too had stung her bow, she gave me a barely seen nod with thin pressed lips and two quivers at her sides. I then looked to Cassandra. She hadn't been looking at me, instead up at the Rift with her dark eyes, she was still in mourning, and it was unfair to force a fight on any of these people so soon after this catastrophe, but someone had to be willing to pick up the pieces, pick up the people, be willing to be the first to keep moving on. She moved her gaze back to me and nodded, all serious in her readiness. I looked back up, letting the green light of the Rift bathe my face in its murky warmth that I wouldn't be surprised was radioactive. I thrust my palm up then, realizing a bit late that Solas never clearly explained how exactly I was suppose to open a Rift. Was it the same to close one? Or do I have to do a little finger dance first?

Evidently that finger riverdance I thought would've been interesting to try out was not needed as the Rift reached out to me hungrily, like the touch of a dying god to its last vestige of worship and crackled with power. I panicked as I felt it siphon some of my own magic before spitting my back a couple feet with a yelp. I landed in a heap of makeshift boxes I assumed were to be used as cover or something, leave it to me to mess that up before the fight even started. My small squad turned to me in surprise and began their way over when the Rift gave a creak and a groan like a whale trying to walk and heaved up a great cloud of lightning threaded mist that quickly formed a demon as tall as the Rift was high and built like a silverback gorilla. It took a second for the shock to settle as the demon screamed in what seemed to be delight, four horns curling from his crown straight up almost as if in surprise at their own defiance of gravity that looked like they'd been curled with an ultra trendy thin curling iron.

The archers tried their best to aim at some nonexistent chinks on the demon's armored skin that I suppose from my vantage point I just couldn't see. The swordsmen tried to round the demon's legs, half in awe of the massive girth of its legs and half trying to hamstring it, rather unsuccessfully mind you. Needless to say my squad joined the fight, for which I was glad, so they didn't have to watch me flail around like a turtle that had somehow gotten on its back and was furiously trying to roll itself back over so it could go back to being useful again. Reminding myself of the only relevant chapter from the _Grapes of Wrath_. Anyway I managed to my feet out of sheer dumb luck pulling wooden pieces from my dress and my hair which had partially gotten uncovered yet again, all the while Cassandra scrambled out screaming curses, what I assumed were curses anyway, smacking her sword to her shield trying to draw the demon's attention away from Varric and Solas who were in the process of chipping away the demon's skin sliver by sliver. Solas was creating a tempest of winds that whipped first around him and his clothes before sliding up the demon in tendrils slicing away at the weakest grains. Bianca seemed to be pretty darn powerful the way her bolts stuck fast and deep in the armor, though evidently still not causing enough damage to really kill the darn thing as it proceeded to walk around more like an annoyed toddler than anything else. Smaller demons like those we faced before began coming through and the soldiers turned to face the new wave. The big demon had a habit of swatting away the men trying to fight it as I got up to join the fight, when the demon swatted the men away, it killed them with the force of its stone muscles. More than a couple of men I passed where missing parts of bodies, blown clean off. Arms gone, chest walls caved in on panicked soldiers clawing at the dirt, One man who was blessedly already dead, was missing half of his face where the skin had sheared off and one eye was popped and deflated like a balloon hanging by the stringy occipital nerve out of its socket.

The demon's skin was stained with the blood of the men it'd killed, in little splotches that looked like it had ringworm, and it was making me damn mad. I drew up from the well again and sprinted full force at the demon not even slowing when I bent to snatch up Sir Waffles as I went, in fact it gave me more momentum and as I came close enough, I jumped, moving right past Cassandra and Solas both of whom started a little, magic propelled me and I clung to the ridges of its plated chest with enhanced sharp nails. Slinging Sir Waffles up with me as I climbed the ridges and Bianca's bolts, much to the disbelief of the men down below who were now frantically beating the armor, doing nothing but blunting their swords, and even more so to the demon itself who tried to watch me with its beady little eyes but unable to really move its head that direction, it slapped around, electricity arching from its fingertips trying to squish me like a incessant mosquito as I jumped and scampered my way onto its shoulders, Solas had stopped his wind offensive around the upper part of the thing likely in fear of hitting me instead and was aiming now at the hips where the legs connected, along with Varric and a number of other archers. I hefted Sir Waffles with me and I climbed further closer to the head, driven by a mad storm of magic that whirled within me, that I knew masked utter exhaustion by this point. I screamed in fury as it strove to brush me off with its massive fingers built like tree trunks. As it flailed, lightning flew from its fingers and palms, smashing down in whips that ripped through whatever intact part of the walkways there had been, including the archers that had been standing on them. The men screamed and died raining down into the garden heart as I held on for dear life. The lightning cracked against one of the statues which surprisingly enough didn't break like everything else but simply toppled, the section of the force of the blow traveling up to the face, a glass eye cracked in its socket as the statue fell backwards almost onto a squadron of men, those who were well enough to run escaped, the wounded who couldn't move as fast were crushed under the oblivious marble. I transformed the point of Sir waffles into the point of a stake and drove in into the demon with extra lightning and a bit stormy wind for good measure, into the crook of its shoulder and neck, only about a hand-span in but deep enough to be felt past all the armor into the squishy bits, magic lessened for a moment and my arms felt like lead and my throat was raw, it screamed back beginning to panic, and I began pooling magic again and started to laugh.

Not a good time I know but it was also about this point when I noticed I had a splinter so yeah don't judge me. Anyway when it went to swat me again I broke Sir Waffles off where it was and sharpened it again sprinting on magic lighted feet around to the back of its neck and stabbed again, diagonally between the ridges that ran down its spine and broke Sir Waffles off once more slinging myself with the momentum onto the other shoulder. By this point I still hadn't noticed I was scraping myself raw. My legs were bare under the dress which had torn multiple times hanging in shreds from the thighs down, my knees were rubbed raw and bleeding, as were the soles of my feet that had worn through the soft leather, and my hands. The mark was perpetually stinging me ever since I got close enough to the Breach and hissed, disapprovingly as I'm sure I was in the process of killing its friend. I proceeded to give it one more stab in the neck throat area and as it moved its arms back to me again, screaming so loud I swore I should've burst my eardrums and I climbed up onto its crown. Looking down into its beady black eyes, an opaque quartet of terror that came to the realization it was about to be killed by a tiny, bloody, elf in a torn dress and half pulled off Hijab. I went to stab it one final time, only the last third of Sir Waffles left by now, but my scream was cut short as Sir Waffles proceeded to fail me in my final hour. Granted I should've expected this, the cat did the same thing, god what if I jinxed it? Shit. The wood shattered and gave me a couple more splinters in less than friendly places and I fell in confusion and surprise.

I heard yelling from below but I was not thinking of them in that moment. I fell and the demon reached out in delight, ready to catch me, squeeze me, and presumably pop me victoriously like a plump grape. But I wasn't done yet. I was honestly surprised that my magic was only beginning to fail me now. I assumed that magic was like a muscle, that one would have to practice, hone and keep from degradation, so the fact that I held out this long was really a Christmas miracle. I twisted, fatigue burning in my thighs and calves, midair landing on my toes at the edge of the gigantic hand as it came by and ran up the arm much to the demon's sudden terror and it, on reflex I suppose, threw up its hands in the air above its head, and proceed to wave them about like it just didn't care. I'm sorry, really I am, but that joke practically made itself. Anyway, I was not expecting to be upended just like that, to find myself falling onto its face and now really had no idea what to do about it. The magic was thinner than before but still beating as a second heartbeat mirroring my own within me, hard and fast, thundering though my sternum but my vision was starting to blur and blacken at the edges. I was falling right down onto its face with a screaming maw that could've swallowed at least three men whole. I panicked and I assume my brain defaulted back to things I made earlier. Now, trust me when I say I thought I was hallucinating at this point okay, I mean I was seeing stars and black spots and my limbs were weakening with every passing second, and so, as I skidded over its mouth, clinging to the crusted lip, I wasn't entirely sure how or why popcorn poured off of me like I was a broken popcorn machine. It quickly filled the demon's maw and I found myself surreally swimming in a sea of popcorn, it couldn't scream properly through a throat full of popcorn and choked, falling over and sending me into the open air once again flailing in a wave of buttery popcorn, the last vestiges of my magic left me in arcs of lightning cast up vainly into the sky as the Rift exploded. I raised my mark weakly the burn stabbing me with the force of the Rift, an explosion of green resonated up into the sky and down into the ground sweeping us all as I fell beside the screaming demon and blacked out in a wave of pain and thunderous clamor as it and I bit the dust together.


End file.
